Little Red Riding Hat

One day, a little girl named Lucy moved away from her home with her parents, because of her father's job. She was sad to be moving away from the rest of her family and friends, but most of all she'd miss her beloved grandma who she enjoyed visiting. They all promised to see each other from time to time, so everything was all right.

Not too far away, in the town where Lucy now lived, there was a nursing home full of kind old grandmothers. So she decided that she would ride her bicycle, wearing her little red safety helmet, to pay the old ladies the regular visits that she had always enjoyed with her own grandma. She brought them fresh buns and helped to tidy the precious things around their beds.

A local boy called Woody Wolfe noticed the girl in her little red riding hat as she cycled by. He thought she was very pretty and was particularly interested in the sweet-smelling contents of her basket. One day as she approached, he stepped forward.

‘Hello. My name is Woody. Where do you go each day?' the young man asked. Lucy explained and soon she was on her way again. From then on, Woody looked out for the red riding hat to appear at the far end of his road, and would sit on the curb to watch her pass by. The pair would wave hello to each other until one day, he could stand the temptation no longer and stopped her. ‘Hello again,' Lucy smiled‘My grandma lives on her own nearby and she can't really cope,' Woody said sadly.‘Oh where is she now? I'd like to pay her a visit if I may?' Lucy said. The young lady was keen to meet her.

Very pleased with himself, Woody led the girl in the little red riding hat, up a garden path and to a back door. Lucy was very sad when she saw Grandma's house and, taking off her safety helmet, she began to tidy up and clean a little for the old lady who was upstairs having a sleep. Then, sitting in the armchair by the kitchen stove, she noticed Woody had eaten all the buns in her basket and vanished.

Lucy was worried as grandma had been asleep for a long time, so, as quiet as a mouse, she crept up the stairs to make sure the old lady was OK.

Gently pushing the door open to see a figure in the bed, she whispered: ‘Hello! My name is Lucy. I am a friend of Woody's. Are you all right in here? Is there anything you need?' Trying not to disturb the old lady too much, she crept closer using her mobile phone as gentle torch light, She saw her own reflection in Grandma's huge eyes. ‘Oh! What big eyes...' she said. ‘Have you got a headache? Why are you wearing sunglasses?'Grandma grinned and feebly waved, then in a croaky voice said: ‘They're prescription, Dear. They help me to see you better - even in the dark.' ‘Gosh,' Lucy exclaimed. ‘You have very good teeth. Are they your own?' Suddenly, a figure darkened the doorway and the light switch clicked on to reveal a uniformed man. ‘Oh, hello!' the man said with cheerful surprise when he saw Lucy. ‘Woody, what are you up to?' he added.

The boy jumped from the bed, dropping the sunglasses.

Putting the pieces together in his mind, Woody's dad, the forest warden, apologised to Lucy. He sternly sent Woody out to pull up the weeds and bring in some firewood. ‘You must have cleaned in the kitchen. Thank you,' he exclaimed. ‘My son is supposed to do that for Woody's grandma, before I help her to visit from the nursing home. She's downstairs if you'd like to say hello?'

Woody's grandma was in the kitchen. She was so pleased to see everyone's smiling faces in their nice and tidy house, that she felt younger again. Woody finished his chores and was forgiven for being naughty, and they all had tea and cakes.

From then on, Lucy's little red riding hat bobbed along next to Grandma as the pair walked to the house from the nursing home every day. Lucy helped her new friend Woody to tidy up a little, while Grandma shared her very best stories with them. With a happy home, Woody's dad was free to spend a little more time in the forest, and so they all lived happily ever after.

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